The Viking Invaders

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The Viking Invaders

• The Middle Ages
• Lesson 11-2

Horrible Histories Vicious Vikings 25m
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• TN SPI
• 6.5.7 Recognize the worlds major historical
  time periods (Middle Ages)
• 6.6.1 Recognize examples of groups impacting
  world history. (Vikings)
• 6.1.5 Identify differences between various
  cultural groups.
• 6.5.5 Identify major technological advances.
  (advances in weaponry)

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Charlemagne Fields of May

• Charlemagne valued learning and knowledge. Each
  spring during the Fields of May, he invited
  scholars to teach his nobles about law and other
  subjects.
• He set up schools to promote learning and
  culture.
• He spread the Christian religion, issued money,
  and improved the economy.
• After his death, his kingdom was divided among
  his three sons. The kingdom was weakened because
  of fighting between the brothers.
• This opened the way for fierce attacks from a
  northern people called the Vikings.

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The Vikings

• Charlemagnes kingdom faced many invaders. Among
  the worst, was a group from Scandinavia called
  the Vikings or Norsemen.
• Scandinavia the present day countries of
  Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
• Because the population of their homeland was
  growing rapidly, many Vikings left on longships
  to search for food and steal it if necessary.

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Viking Longships

• The Vikings were skillful shipbuilders.
• Their fast-moving longships were powered by large
  square sails and many strong rowers who served as
  fighters as well.
• Longships allowed the Vikings to reach many
  coastal areas of northwestern Europe and to sail
  inland along rivers.
• They traded animal skins, fish, iron, and timber
  for slaves, spices, and sugar.

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A Viking Long Ship

• Viking long ships could travel rough, open seas.
  A long ship could be as long as 75 feet and could
  carry up to 35 people.

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Fierce Warriors

• Unlike other warriors of the Middle Ages, the
  Vikings attacked at night or early in the morning
  in order to take people by surprise.
• Upon attack, these fierce fighters would often
  kill everyone they found and destroy what they
  did not take.
• The Vikings began to settle the lands they
  attacked taking control of England and France.

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Daily Life

• While most people think of the Vikings as
  seagoing warriors, most actually lived on farms
  or in villages.
• They built one-story homes of wood or stone.
• Farmers grew oats, barley, and rye.
• Some Vikings were fishermen, metal workers, and
  wood carvers.

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Viking Social Classes

• There were three social classes in Viking
  society
• Nobles a ruling king or chief
• Working class farmers and artisans
• Slaves - captured in battle or raids

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Stories of an Unknown Land

• For a very long time, people had told stories
  about an unknown land between Europe and Asia.
• No one knew for sure if stories of a New World
  could be true.
• These stories began a new era called the Age of
  Exploration.

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Leif Eriksson 975-1020

• Leif Eriksson was the son of Eric the Red, who
  started the first European settlement of
  Greenland in 985.
• He was born in Iceland around 975.
• Leif was a leader of Viking expeditions and may
  have been the first European to reach North
  America.

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Landing in North America

• In the year 1000, Leif sailed to Norway, which is
  where his family had originally come from.
• While he was there, he became a Christian and
  planned to return to Greenland to teach the
  Vikings about Christianity.
• As Leif sailed back to Greenland, he was blown
  off course and ended up in North America instead
  of Greenland.
• He landed in a place he called Vinland. This was
  probably part of Canada now called Newfoundland.

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